Roots Archives Forum

Hey guys I don't know much about Ska. but I need an Info. The Skatalites split in the mid 6oies right? but I heard they still go on tour. How?? I thought they split after Don Drummond was sent to the mental hospital.

ites deh

dem never split,only ting is dat people get old and some gone to heaven,so new members enter to the band.
they still in action have seen dem for the two last years with new members in it but still some originals.

respect everytime
dreadrecords

oh thanks do they still play ska or do they play reggae?

ites deh

still very well pure ska music...

and it came out this year the dvd about dem wich they deserve very good indeed can see at my blog

reggae.modblog.com

respect everytime
dreadrecords

thanks I guess I have to check them

Yes, they did split after Drummond was committed. Alphonso went on to lead the Soul Brothers with Jackie Mittoo, while McCook formed the Supersonics at Treasure Isle.

Various members of the band reunited through the mid seventies, but a real Skatalite reunion didn't happen until 1983 when they played Sunsplash.

This was followed by their Return of the Big Guns album, and the band have been together in different forms ever since.

yes, thats right, they recorded an album for Reid in 1975 but didn't reform officially until that sunsplash. After Return of the big Guns they have recorded Ball of Fire, Greetings from Skamania, and From Paris with Love came out 3-4 years ago...maybe some more...The Skatalites from the 60s only were together as a band for year and a half or so during wich they recorded hundreds of tunes, but before that the members were already recording under different names, Baba Brooks Band fx...today only Lloyd Knibb (drums), Lloyd Brevet (bass) and Lester Sterling (sax) are the only original members left but are joined but other legendary jamaicans like Karl Bryan (sax) and Vin Gordon (tbone). As all ska bands, they also play some reggae...when i saw them they made Nice Time sung by Doreen Sheffer who also sung Sugar Sugar and a couple more songs

i saw the skatelites nearly four years ago. they had five original members: johnny moore, doreen schaffer, lester sterling, lloyd brevett, and lloyd knibb. they do ska, rocksteady, reggae in every set. they did some bob marley covers from the 60s. now there is only three og members in the band. lloyd knibb, doreen, lester, im not sure what happen to lloyd brevett... but johnny moore is still around but not playing.

hi there,
I noticed too that Lloyd Brevett is not listed anymore in the band's web. I hope he's ok. When I saw them, Moore was not playing anymore, they had an incredible trumpet though. They like to say that Doreen is a member and they present her as "the original Skatalites female vocalist", however I don´t know any recording from the 60's where she appears. Anybody does?
Greets for all

SHE DID A LOT OF BACK UP SINGING OR JACKIE OPEL AND OTHERS, AND AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW THE SKATALITES DID ABOUT 90% OF ALL THE SKA RECORDINGS IN THE 60s BUT THEY WERE JUST DOING THE MUSIC THE ACTUAL BAND BROKE UP IN 1965 I THINK BUT THEY STILL DID A LOT OF RECORDING, SO SHE WAS ALWAYS AROUND, BUT YOUR RIGHT SHE WAS NOT A DIRECT MEMBER. BUT IF YOU EVER THE SEE THE ALBUM FOUNDATION SKA SHE IS ON THE COVER. THEY STILL WITH OUT A DOUBT ARE THE FOUNDERS OF THE MUSIC THEY CALL SKA, ROCKSTEADY, REGGAE! AND THEY NEED TO BE RECOGNIZED AND APPRECIATED A LOT MORE IN THE REGGAE CULTURE A LOT OF PEOPLE DONT KNOW WHO THEY ARE AND WHAT THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR! SKAVOOVIE...